Machine for the treatment of lenses



June 27, 1944. J. BoLsEY MACHINE FOR THE TREATMENT 0F Filed Jan. 29, 1943l FIG. l

FIGA

LENSES 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. JACQUES BOLSE Y T June 2?, i9 J. -BoLsEY 2,352,180

` MACHINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF LENSES Filed Jan. 29, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Patented June j27, 1944 Jacques Boissy, New York, N. u.

Application January 29, 1943, Serial No. 473,931

(ci. 511os 8 Claims.

My present invention relates to machines for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments, more particularly to machines for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to centering, grinding, and polishing.

, It is an object oi' my present invention to provide a machine adapted to support a plurality of lenses or lens blanks during treatment of the same.

It .is another object of my invention to provide a machine of the above type which needs substantially nc skill and long experience for its operation.

Stili another object o! my present invention consists in a machine adapted to center the lenses or lens blanks automatically on their supports bciore treatment of the same by grinding and polishlns tools forming part of this machine.

A further object of my invention consists in new lens supporting devices combined with my new machine.

Stih a further object of the invention consiste in centering devices enabling substantially automatic centering ot the lenses or lens blanks on their individual supporte.

With' the above objects in view, my present invention mainly consists in a machine for the above explained purposes comprising a common horizontal support ior a plurality of lenses arranged rotatably about a common vertical axis of rotation and individual supports, one for each ci the lenses, arranged on this common horizontal support equidistant from the vertical axis oi the same. Each of these individual supports is preferably alsoarranged rotatably about an individual vertical axis of rotation.

Of course, the machine also comprises means for rotating the common support about the common vertical axis oi rotation and means for rotatins each of the individual lens supports about its individual axis oi rotation. In this manner, all lenses are supported in horizontal position rotating about vertical axes of rotation, thereby enabling placing of the lenses on their-supports and centering oi the same on these supports without being secured to them.

My new machine preferably comprises a plurality o individual supports arranged equidistant from each other and from the common vertical axis o rotation of the common support; in this case. the means for rotating the common support are constructed in such a manner as to rotate this support intermittently step by step, moving each of the individual lens supports by one of in which the next following lens support was before that respective movement.

The rotation of thek individual lens supports about their individual axes of rotation is preferably uninterrupted and continuous and serves for obtaining the necessary relative movement between the grinding and polishing tools and the lenses; this rotation furthermore enables center- .ing of each of these lenses on its individual lsupport in the way described below more in detail.

I have found it advantageous to obtain this step by step rotation oi' the common support by means ci a Geneva cross'mechanism or'rotating means acting in the same or similar way. By such a mechanism, I obtain step by step movements of which each consists ci three periods, namely one period ci quick turning, one period of slow turning, and one period of rest. Preferably, during the period oi' quick turning, each of the individual supports moves substantially the entire distance from one position oi rest to the next, and durins the period of slow turning it moves only a short distance before reaching this nentposition oi rest; in this nest position of rest, then, it remains for a considerable period -oi time which might be equal to about the le of the quick and the slow turning period together.

This way of moving the support has consider- L able advantages, as during the period of quick of.. s the supported lenses vare in no contact with any oi the tools of the machine but are only carried from one tool to the next while during the period of slow turning they are comins into contact with the tools and during the peri of rest they treated by the same.

tial to stress that these intermittent periods of i.. rest relate only to the rotation of the common support about the common axis ci rotation and not to the rotation oi the individual supports smut their respective axes, which latter movement is continuous and unin- A my new me supporting the lenses in horiaontal position f. substantial advantages in that no separate fastening means are necessary during placing and centering of the lenses and that the same are prevented from detachment from their supports during these operations solely by force of gravity. O! course, during treatment of the lenses by grinding, polishing, or other tools, the force otgravity is insufiicient and other fastening means have to be provided. I have found mese SWP by Step movements into that position that best results can be obtained in a simple way .terrupted d the entire operation of the new r= above, the general construction of vAll shown in Figure 1, the common support! by using vacuum for securing the lenses or lens blanks to their supports, as fastening devices working with vacuum are extremely simple in construction and easy to operate. Furthermore. such devices enable in a simple way reduction of adherence of the lenses to their supports whenever such reduction should be required for purposes of centering or like operations.

For centering the lenses, 1 preferably use photo-electric lens centering devicesof the time described in my co-pending United States patent application, Ser.vNo. 471,325, file/d on January 5, 1943. It is advantageous to use several such centering devices associated with consecutive positions of `rest of the individual lens supports, enabling subdivision of the centering operation into rough and fine lcentering of the lenses on their supports. As such centering devices operate by themselves and in view of the factthat fastening means working with vacuum might also be operated by rotation of the commonsupport, my

new machine is adapted to work entirely automatically; this means that the lenses only have to be placed on their individual supports in unn centered position and Awill then automatically b'e centered by the photo-electric centering devices described below-in detail, automatically fastened to their supports by vacuum means, moved into such position as to contact consecutively the grinding and polishing tools while rotated and,

after vtreatment by these tools, released from .stood from the following description of specific embodiments, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side view oi the entire machine; Figure 2 is an elevational cross section through the upper part of the machine shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 isa front view of the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top viewoi the driving mechanism with the upperpart of the machine removed;

Figure 5 is a top view of the machine showing the individual lens supports;

Figure 6 is a view similar tothe view shown in .Fisure5:

`Figure 'l is a perspective view of the common and individual lens supports;

lFigure 8 is an elevational section of one of' 'the individual lens supports;

Figure 9 shows another embodiment of the mechanism rotating the common support in elevational section; and

Figure l0 shows a detail of the photo-electric lens centering means used 'in combination with my new machine.

As explained above and shown in the drawings, particularly in Figures 1, 5, 6, and 7, my newv machine comprises a common horizontal support l arranged rotatably about a vertical shaft Il, and individual horizontal supports `I, l, C, 1, 8, 9, u, and Il, arranged on the common support 3 equidistant from shaft I1 and from each other.

arrangedv on top of the rotating mechanism 2 'which latter is supported by base I. The individ- I'I' supported by a base, two gears II and' 82.

non-rotatably secured to this shaft I`1, and pinions I9, 2l secured to the lower ends of the lens supporting hollow spindles l, I, 9, 1, l, 9, 34, and n. These spindles are rotatably carried by the coinmon support Q which latter is supported rotatably about shaft I 1 by means ofball bearings I3 and 54. Motor I4' is secured to support 3 in the way shown in Figure 9; this motor ls connected with gear 52 by means of worm gear 55, shaft BB, and pinion 51. As gear 52 is firmly secured to the stationary shaft I1 and is unable to rotate, operation of the motor will cause rotation about shaft I1 of the motor and of the common support 3 to which this motor is secured. In view of 'the fact that the stationary gear 5I is in mesh with the rotatable pinions I9, 20, it is evident that when the common support l is rotated, the pinions I 9, 2U, are rotated about their individual axes and thereby rotate the lens supporting hollow spindles to which they are secured. Thus, operation of motor Il causes not only rotation of lthe common support 3 about shaft I'I but also rotation of each of the lens supporting individual spindles about its individual axis of rotation.

The mechanism rotating the common support shown in Figures 2 and 4 differs from the one described above mainly by the fact that motor 2t is statlonarily supported and not rotating with the common support 3. This stationarymotor 24 is connected by worm 2l and, worm gear 2l with the rotatable driving shaft 23. By meansof pulleys 22 and 2i! and belt 2|, this shaft drives shaft I'I which in this case is rotatably supported.

and not stationary as in the embodiment described above. Shaft Il is connected to the individual lens supporting spindles by means of gear Ii and vvpinions I9, 2li, and rotates each of those spindles" about its individual axis of rotation.

While the shaft I1 turns continuously and thus the lens supporting spindles are rotated without interruption, the mechanism for rotating the cornmon support 3 is constructed in such a manner as to cause intermittent step by step turning oi this support. For this purpose the driving shaft 23 is connected by means of pulleys 21, 28 and belt 2l to shaft 30, rotating the latter -with uniform speed. Shaft Il carries the cylindrical member 3|, to which pin 32 is secured. This pin co-operates, as shown in Figure 4, with the Geneva cross 33 which latter is firmly connected to the common support l by means of the hollow sleeve member II.

It is evident to everybody skilled in this art and needs no further explanation that in this way the continuous uniform rotating movement of shaft Il is transformed into a step by step inter-f mittent movement of the Geneva cross I! and the common support l driven by the same. It is also evident that a mechanism of this type causes varying speed of rotation between consecutive positions of rest of support I, namely first a quick and then a slow turning of the support. The

is Geneva cross might be shaped in such a manner that during the quick turning the support 3 moves substantially the entire way from one position of restl to the next while during the slow turning it moves only a short distance before reaching the next position ci rest. Thus, I have found it advantageous to construct thisv driving mechanism in such a way that the quick turning period is somewhat shorter-than the slow turning period and each period of rest lasts as long as both the quick and slow turning periods together. Furthermore, the distance covered during the quick period should be about four tosix times as great as that covered during the consecutive slow movement of support 8.

Having thus described in detail my new lens supporting means and the mechanism for rotating the same, will now proceed to describe the means for fastening the lenses to their supports, the lens centering devices and other lens treating means associated with my new machine.

As shown in the drawings, particularly `in- Figures 2, 8, and 9, each of the individual lens supports consists of a hollow spindle 60 connected with gear is and arranged rotatably on the common support 3. Each of these spindles Bil is provided with a nozzle 6l, the upper rim 82 of which serves for supporting the lens 63 as shown in Figure '8. The nozzle 6i may be exchangeable in order to use nozzles of various size for variously shaped lenses.

I have found it advantageous to combine with the lens supports lens centering devices of the type described in my co-pendingapplications, Ser. No. 471,325, tiled January 5, 1943. Such a lens centering device consists of a source of light, e. g. a lamp St, a lens t in front o! this lamp, a diaphragm 56,- and a set of photo-electric cells Si and te arranged on the stationary support I2 as shown in Figure l. This latter support isconnected to the stationary base I by member Il and does not rotate together withthe common support t. Connected with the photo-electric cells GB are electro-magnetic means, not shown in the drawings, for operating the adjusting lever S9 in such a manner as to correct the position of lens 53 whenever the light beam emitted by lens 64 and passing through lens 83 is ldeilectedfrom its correct position, co-inciding with the axis of rotation of spindle 80. It is possible to provide severai centering devices .of this type, for instance one for rough and one for ilne centering, and to associate them with two consecutive positions of rest, as for instance those positions in which the iene supports 1 and 8 are in Figure 5.

For securing the lenses to their individual supports, vacuum means are used. As shown in Figure 9, these vacuum means consist o! a -pump 10 creating. a vacuum withinthe common support 8 and thereby holding the lenses. firmly in contact with the rims B2 of nozzles 8l. As mentioned above, it is necessary to regulate this vacnum, i. e. to decreaa'e the air suction in some of the nozzles in order to enable centering of the lenses. For this purpose, I provide two valves 'Il and 12 (zo-operating with'each other in such a manner that the space within those nozzles which are co-operating with lens centering devices is disconnected from the inner space within support 8. This can easily be attained by automatically opening valve 1 2 and closing 'valve 1I before the nozzles reach the lens centering devices and reversing the position of the valves when Vthe lenses are centered and the nozzles are moving away from these devices. In order to avoid undesired.

sliding of the lenses during centering, additional lil supporting means and Ill might be provided.

As shown in the drawings, particularly in Figures 1, 5, 6, and -7, grinding and polishing wheels 8a, 3l, and 38, are provided near some points of the path of the lenses, preferably near such points at which, the lenses arein a position of rest. In view of the fact that the lenses are rotating about their individual axes also during rest periods, grinding and polishing of the lens edges is carried outI during these periods.

It will be understood that each ot the eiements described above, or two or more together, may also nd a useful application in other types of lenstreating apparatus differing from the types described above.

While l have illustrated and described the in.- vention as embodied in lens centering and grinding machines, I do not intend to be limited to the details ahove,.since various modifications and structural change-s may be made without departing in any way from the spirit ofmy invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of my invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art. fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specic aspects of this invention and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning y and. range of equivalence of the following claims.

What I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

i. Machine for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments comprising a Acommon horizontal support ior'said lenses arranged rotatably about a common vertical axes of rotation, individual horizontal supports one for each of said lenses arranged on saidl common horizontal support equidistant from each other and from said common vertical axis of rotation, each of said individual supports being arranged rotatably about an individual vertical axis of Irotation. means for rotating said common support step by step intermittently about said common vertical axis of rotation ln such a man" ner as to move each of said individual lens supports into that positionv in which the next preceding lens support was before that respective step by step rotating movement, means for continuously rotating each of said individual lens supports about its individual vertical axis of rotation during sa* d step by step intermittent rotation of the common support about its common vertical axis of rotation, each of said individual supports having an upper horizontal rim for supporting a lens freely sldable in horizontal position, and stationary optical centering means adapted to center the optical center of the lenses with respect to the individual supports while they are lying freely slidably on said upper horizontal lens supporting rims of said supports, said optical centering meansA beingarranged along the path of the lenses carried by said individual lens supports at some of those points of this path at which'said individual lens supports are in position of rest, not rotating about said common vertical axis of rotation of said common support.

2. Machine for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments comprising a common horizontal support for said lenses arranged rotatably about a common vertical axis horizontal support equidistant from. each other and from said common vertical axis of rotation, each of said individual supports being arranged rotatably about an individual vertical axis .of rotation, means for rotating said common support step by step intermittently about said cornmon vertical axis of rotation in such a manner asto move each of said individual lens supports into that position in which the next preceding lens support was before that respective step by step rotating movement, means for continuously rotating each of said individual lens supports about its individual vertical axis of rotation during said step by step intermittent rotation of the common support about its common vertical axis of rotation, each of said individual supports'comprising a nozzle having an upper horizontal rim for supporting a lens freely slidable in horizontal position and means for creating vacuum inside said nozzle adapted to cause iirm adherence of a lens placed on said supporting nozzle rim to the same during the consecutive various treatments to which said lens is subjected during its combined rotation about the common vertical axis of rotation of said common support and about its individual vertical axis of rotation, stationary optical centering means yadapted to center'the optical center ofthe lenses with respect to the individual supports while they are lying freely slidably on said upper horizontal lens supporting rims of said supports, said optical centering means being arranged along the path of the lenses carried by said individual lens supports at some oi' those points of this path at which said individual lens supports are in position of rest, not rotatingabout said common vertical axis of rotation of said common support, means for reducing the vacuum in l those nozzleswhich are at those points of the path oi' the lenses at which said lens centering means are arranged, and various stationary grinding and polishing means arranged at some other points of the path of said lenses carried by said individual supports in such a manner as to contact said lenses mainly while the individual lens supports carrying the same are in a position of rest not rotating about the common vertical axis of said common support but rotating only about their respective individual axes of rotation.

3. Machine for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments comprising a common horizontal support for said lenses arranged rotatably about a common vertical axis of rotation, individual horizontal supports one for each of said lenses arranged on said common horizontal support equidistant from each other and from said common vertical axis of rotation, each of said individual `supports being arranged rotatably about an individual vertical axis of rotation, a Geneva cross type mechanism for rotating said common support step by step intermittently about said common vertical axis of rotation in such a manner as to move each of said individual lens supports into that position in which the next preceding lens support was before that respective step by step rotating movement, means for continuously rotating each of said individual lens supports about its individual assenso. y

vertical a'xis of rotation, stationary optical centering means adapted to center the optical center of the lenses with respect to the individual supports while they am lying in horizontal position freely slidably on said upper horizontal lens supporting rim of said supports, said optical centering means being arranged along the path of the lenses carried by said individual lens supports at some oi' those points of this path at which said individual lens supports are in position of rest, not rotating about said common vertical axis of rotation of said common support, means for reducing the vacuum in those nozzles which are at those points of the path of the lenses at which said lens centering means are arranged, and various stationary grinding and polishing means arranged at some other points of the path of said lenses carriedby said individual supports insuch a manner as to contact said lenses mainly while.

the individual lens supports carrying the same are in a position of rest not rotating about the common vertical axis of said common support but rotating only about their respective individual axes of rotation. 1 Y

4. Machine for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments, comprising a common movableI horizontal lens support for said lenses, individual horizontal supports one for each of said lenses arranged on said common horizontal movable support equidistant from each other, each of said lens supports having an upper horizontal lens supporting part on which the supported lens is adapted to lie freely slidably in horizontal position, means for moving vertical axis of rotation during said step by step intermittent rotation of the common support about its common vertical axis of rotation, each said common support step by step intermittently in such a manner aslto move each of said indi-A means being arranged along the path of the lenses carried by said individual lens supports at least at one of those points of this path at which said individual lens supports are in position of rest.

l5. Machine for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments comprising a common movable horizontal lens support i'or said lenses, individual horizontal supports one for each of said lenses arranged on said common horizontal movable support equidistant from each other. each of said lens supports having an upper horizontal lens supporting part on which the supported lens is adapted to lie freely slidably in horizontal position, means for moving said common support step by step intermittently in such a manner as to move each of said individual lens supports into that position of rest in which the next preceding lens support was before that respective step by step movement, and stationary optical lens centering means adapted to center the optical center oi' the lenses with respect to the lens supports on which they are freely slidably in horizontal position lying after they have been placed upon said upper horizontal lens supporting parts of said horizontal lens support on said supporting nozzle rim. to the same during 7s freely slidably supported by the same in horizontal position, said stationary optical lens centering means being arranged along the path of the lenses carried by said individual lens supports at some of those points of this path at which said individual lens supports are in posi tion of rest. l

6. Machine for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments comprising a common horizontal support for said lenses arranged rotatably about a common vertical axis of rotation, individual horizontal lens supports one for each of said lenses arranged on said common horizontal-support equidistant from said common vertical axis of rotation, each of said individual supports being arranged rotatably about an individual vertical axis of rotation and having an upper horizontal lens supporting part on which the supported lens is adapted to lie freely slidably in horizontalposition, means for rotating said common support step by step intermittently about said common vertical axis of rotation in such a manner as to move each of said individual lens supports into that position of rest in which the next preceding lens support was before that respective step by step rotating movement. meanslior rotating each of said individual lens supports about its individual vertical axis of' of said horizontal supports in horizontal position freely slidably supported by the same, said centering means being arranged along the path oi the lenses carried by said individual lens supports at least at one of those points of this path at which said individual lens supports are in position of rest. not rotatingV about said common vertical axis of rotation of said common support.

7. Machine for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments, comprising a common movable horizontal lens sup.- port for said lenses, individual. horizontal supports one for each of said lenses arranged on said common horizontal movable support equidistant from-each other, each of said individual supports being arranged rotatably about an individual vertical axis of rotation and having an upper horizontal lens supporting part on which a lens is adapted to lie freely slidably in horizontal position, means for rotating each of said individual supports about its individual vertical axis of rotation, means -for moving said common support step by step intermittently in such a manner as to move each of said individual lens supports into that position of rest in which the next preceding lens support was before that respective step by step movement, means for removing the finished lenses and means for placing lenses to be treated on said upper horizontal lens supporting parts of said horizontal lens supports in horizontal position freely slidably supported by the same, said means being arranged along the path of the lenses carried by said individual lens supports at least at one of those points of this path at which said individual' lens supports are in a position of rest and stationary optical lens centering means adapted to center the optical centerhorizontal support but only rotating about their individual vertical axes of rotation.

8. Machine for simultaneously subjecting a plurality of lenses to various treatments, comprising' a common movable horizontal lens sup port for said lenses, individual horizontal supports one foreach of said lenses arranged on said common horizontal movable support equidistant from each other, each of said individual supports Ibeing arranged rotatably about an individual vertical axis of 4,rotation and having an upper horizontal lenssupporting part on which a lens is adapted .to lie freely slidably in horizontal position, means for moving said common support step by step intermittently in such a manner as to move each oi said individual lens supports into that position of rest in which the next preceding lens support was before that respective step by step movement, means for continuously rotating each of said individual lens supports about its individual vertical axis oi rotation during said step by step intermittent movement of said common support, means for removing the ilnished lenses and means for placing lenses to be treated ony said upper horizontal lens supporting parts of said horizontal lens supports in horizontal position freely slidably supported by the same,

said means being arranged along the path of the center said lenses after they have been placed lin by said placing means upon said upper horizontal lens supporting parts of said individual "horizontal lens supports freely slidably supported by the same in horizontal position, said centering means being arranged along the path of the axes of rotation.

JACQUES BOLSEY. 

